Apparatus for treating textile materials with liquids.



C. W. FULTON- APPARATUS FOR TREATING TEXTILE MATERIALS WITH LIQUIDS. APPLICATION FILED Muze, 1912.

1;O88,360. Patented @11.6, 1914.

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ma/am, j Y lf v I A W om@ 0. W. FULTON. APPARATUS POR TREATING TEXTILE MATERIALS WITH LIQUIDS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 23, 1912.'

1,083,360. l Patented,.mnl.6,1914.

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'UNrrnn srarns rnrnnr OFFICE.

CHARLES WILLIAM FULTON, 0F PAISLEY, SCOTLAND.

APPARATUS- FOR TREATING TEXTILE MATERIALS WITH LIQUIDS.

To alt whom t may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES VILLIAM FULTON, a subject of the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and residing at Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Treating Textile Materials With Liquids, of Which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a system of afp-- paratus applicable to certain industrial processes in which textile materials are subjected to successive treatments or stages of treatment, frequently of unequal duration, with liquids, generally involving, according to the practice at present in vogue, interruptions between the treatments or stages of treatment, the unequal duration of the various treatments kor stages of treatment en-` tailing the necessity for the provisionbf; facllities for storage of the materials beingy handled and also occasioning difficulties in adjusting the speed of various moving elements of the system in relation to one another.

4To instance a particular case: In the bleaching of cotton goods, as Widely'prac-k tised at present, the goods are irst boiled in caustic or soda ash in keirs or like apparatus, i

then Washed, then chemicked and allowed to stand for several hours in the chemio in large piles, on the floor or in tanks, then Washed again, then treated with acid and then,l usually with an interruption of the process at this stage, finally Washed.

ing it'may here be noticed that the process as commonly practised up till now, if performed once only, is attended With conslderg 'able drawbacks Well appreciated by those acquainted with the art. For instance, an unnecessary amount of time is spent 1n the discharging operation. Again, if the goods be piled up after having passed through the chemie machine they may run for say two Vhours before the pile is complete; and,

ifthree hours elapse before, the commence-l quently shown up as inequality in dyeing.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Application led May 23, 1912.

To l confine the illustration to the case of bleach- Serial No. 699,161.

y It is therefore not unusual to subject the goods twice to the aforesaid operations, so as to' eliminate or reduce variations in the bleach; and in the repetition of the process to provide that the goods which lay at .the bottom when piled up in the chemie for the iirst time should come to the top of the pile `the second time.

The system of apparatus forming the suhject of this invention is not only applicable Patented Jan. c, 1era.

for bleaching, but is also'suitable for other' purposes, it being understood that the general construction, arrangement and mode of operation may remain substantially the saine although the composition of the liquids, etc., and the sequence and arrangement ,of the elements may be varied according to the nature ofthe process for Which the apparatus is used.'r

For the sake of brevity I Willdescribe the apparatus simply as a bleaching apparatus and indicate the advantages to be derived from its application to bleaching. The advantages in question are attributable inlarge part to the circumstance that duplication of any of the steps of the process may be avoided, and that an opportunity is oered of performing all of the steps of the process concurrently, i. e., the process is rendered continuous, and, as far as possible, automatic. The most important of theseA advantages are as follows -:-(l) Reduction inlabor costs. v(2) Uniformity of strength and duration of action of the chemicals and consequent uniformity of the bleach. (3) Saving of chemicals. (a) Ability to runl heavy and light goods indiscriminately through the same process. (5) Absence of strain on the goods.

I will now proceed to describe the function of the apparatus as applied to the bleaching of cotton piece goods say.

The goods are first cleaned or discharged in one or more receptacles hereinafter described, then run at a high speed in rope form through one or more hot`-wasliingv machines, .one vor more cold-Washing machines, and a chemie machine then'are delivered to one Vor more storage receptacles capable of holding a large'quantity of fabric, the `capacity of the said storage receptacle or receptacles being such that the fabric received .therein is delivered therefrom only after the Aexpiry of a period necessary for completion .of the chemicking operation; the goods are then preferably `led lthrough Vone or more washing machines, an acid machine or machines, another storage receptacle or receptacles, and a further washing machine or machines, and may then be led into barrows a or the like or to a beater opener'.

The various machines through which the goods are led are operated in unison, means being provided whereby the speed of the goods leaving or entering the machines may be regulated as required.

I will assume that the number of machines constitutingl the system is limited as hereinafter appears, though of course it will be understood that a smaller or larger number of machines may be used.

In the accompanying drawings Figures l and l are an elevation and Figs. 2 and 2e are a plan showing diagrammatically a general arrangement of apparatus embodying the invention; Fig. 3 is an elevation and F ig. 1l is a plan of one of the washing machines hereinafter referred to; Fig. 5 shows a modification; Figs. G and 7 show details.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus comprises one or more receptacles A each consisting preferably of a vertical U-shaped trough one limb of which is provided with a lateral outlet B, communicating with a tank D, hereinafter more fully described (see Fig. G). The goods C pass through each receptacle A, by way of guide rolls C, being assisted in their passage by the liquid which tends to float them around the curved bottom of the receptacle or each receptacle toward the outlet thereof, the receptacle or receptacles being of such capacity' that the time occupied in the passage of the goods through the same is sufficient for the goods to be thoroughly acted on by the liquid.

Adjacent the receptacle or each receptacle A is a tank D, shown particularly in Fig. 6, containing liquid and communicating with the outletI B of one limb of the receptacle by means of a pipe connection E, a pump F or the like connected to the tank D by a pipe D2 being provided to force the liquid from the tank D into the other limb of the receptacle by means of a pipe connection G which is shown attached to a device H for spraying the liquid on to the goods entering the receptacle; the tank or each tank D may be provided with heating coils D1. Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 5, the receptacle or each receptacle may comprise an incomplete U-shaped member the lower end of which is immersed in a tank containing liquid.

By preference, arranged within the tank or each tank is or are one or more guide rolls I and above each tank are fitted coperating pressure rolls J, so that the goods may be led through the liquid in the tank, around the guide roll or rolls 1, between the pressure rolls J, back around the guide roll or rolls I, again between the pressure rolls J and thence through a reciprocatory guide member K located over the receiving end of the receptacle into and through the receptacle, whence they may be led by way of guide rolls C2 to a second tank and through a second receptacle, or, as shown, through a series of such tanks and receptacles consecutively, or thence to the first washing machine L. As shown particularly in Fig. 7, the said guide member K moves with a` block K1 which is reciprocated on guide bars K2, for instance by means of a rotatable spindle M having right and left hand screw-threads engaged alternately by a linger il on the block K1, se that the block is iirst caused by operation of one thread to travel to one end of the spindle M, whereupon the finger N is thrown into engagement with the other thread and the block moved to the other end of the spindle, and so on-all in a manner well known.

The tanks l), (if more than one receptacle and tank be provided) are preferably in communication with one another, by ine-ans of pipe connections O, the liquid being caused to flow from one tank to another in the direction counter to that of the passage of the goods. As shown, the liquid is introduced through a pipe l.) communicating with the tank D nearest the outlet end of the series and discharged through a pipe Q leading from the tank nearest the inlet end of the series.

The first washing machine L is formed as a box-like structure or tank with a sloping false back R and is divided into compartments by a series of vertical partitions S which are preferably inclined or diagonally arranged within said tank as shown in Fig. l. A steam pipe T may be fitted behind the sloping back R and arranged to direct a jet or jets of steam against the goods lying on the sloping back R to assist in causing them to slide down such sloping back without becoming entangled, while serving to heat the liquid.

Fit-ted overhead the washing machine L and j ournaled in brackets U1 are two drums or reels U over which the fabric passes and whence it falls into the first compartment of the washing machine dropping down the sloping back R and being brought up the opposite side, passing between guiding fingers V on a bar WV and straight over at right angles to the axes of the drums, and thence into the second compartment, and so on until it comes to the opposite end of the washing machine and is led to the neXt machine.

it will be understood'that the path of the materials through the washing machine is more or less zig-zag, the inclined partitions S serving to guide the fabric along the machine in stages. The pure washing water is led at X into the last compartment and Hows into one compartment after another by way of an opening Y in each of the partitions S until it reaches the rst compartment; the washing being thus effected on the counter-current principle. From the rst washing machine L the goods are led to a second washing machine L1 of similar construction but in which the partitions S are inclined in the opposite direction. From the second washing machine L1 the goods are led to the chemicking machine Z which is constructed similarly to the rst washing machine. At the delivery from, and, if desired, at the entrance to, each machine the drum or reel U is coneshaped, cooperating with a nipping roller a, the fabric passing between a pair of fingers I) on 'a bar c, shown particularly in Fig. at, which is capable of being adjusted as by means of an extension C1 provided with a detachable pin adapted to engage a notched fixture c2, so as to vary the speed of entrance or exit of the goods from the machine in question.

The machines L, L1 and Z may be driven by a horizontal shaft (Z and bevel gearing e, one drum U of each pair being geared to the other by means of a chain As shown, the shaft Z is operable by means of spur gearing g1, L and a belt i from a motor y' and is adapted to operate the lower pressure roll J by means of bevel gearing Z3, Z, the shaft mY for driving the lower guide rolls C1 being also operable from said shaft d by means of a chain 'n and wheels o1, p.

To insure that the goods shall be subjected for sufiicient time to the action of the chemic, I may provide one or more liquid-containing storage receptacles g which may be of the construction shown in Figs. l, l or shown in Fig. 5. As shown, for example, the goods pass from the chemicking machine Z, by way of reciprocatory guiding members and guide rolls arranged in substantially the same manner as de* scribed with reference to the receptacles A, through two U-shaped receptacles g, thence through a machine r where the goods are washed with water, through a machine s where they are subjected to the action of acid, through a third storage receptacle g and then through a washing machine t, said machines 11, s and t being constructed similarly to the machines L, L1 and Z.

Having now described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is l. In apparatus for treating textile materials with liquids, a washing machine formed as a box-like structure, diagonally arranged partitions dividing said structure into compartments, and devices for leading the materials through the compartments in a Zig-zag path.

2. In apparat-us for treating textile materials with liquids, a washing machine formed as a box-like structure having a sloping false back, diagonally arranged partitions dividing said structure into compartments, devices for leading the materials through the compartments in a zig-zag path, and a steam pipe located behind said false back.

3. In an apparatus for treating textile materials with liquids, a washing machine formed as a box-like structure, diagonally arranged vertical partitions dividing said structure into compartments,and devices for causing the materials to travel through the compartments in a zig-zag path.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES WILLIAM FULTON.

Witnesses:

WALLACE CRANsToN FAIRWEATHER, JOHN MCCLEARY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patente, Washington, D. C. 

